CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
"I WAS forced to marry your dad. Briggs was so in love with me that he did everything to have me." His mother said in a low soft tone.
Brianna looks like reminiscing the past. Ang mga mata nito ay nakatuon sa bintana ng eroplanong sinasakyan nila papunta sa Pilipinas.
Sa kabilang gilid ni Brooke ay ang natutulog na si Gelicah, ang ulo ay nakahilig sa balikat niya habang nakayakap ang mga kamay sa kanyang braso.
"Papa wanted me to marry him, given the fact that he was so in love me, Briggs Montero has a big name in business world. Kung masasabit ang pangalan ko sa mga Montero, siguradong lalago rin ang negosyon namin. I agreed to marry your father even I don't really love him." Brianna took a sighed then she smile. "But eventually, I learned to love him. Minahal ko ang daddy mo, Brooke, dahil kung hindi, wala ka sana."
Masaya sa pakiramdam na marinig ang buhay pag-ibig ng magulang niya, ngunit hindi niya maialis ang kirot sa dibdib sa katotohanan na walang masayang katapusan ang pag-iibigan na 'yon.
"Why did you have to..." Brooke swallowed hard. He was avoiding this topic ever since his mother woke up. But right now, it seems like its over. "...to leave us, to leave me?"
Sinulyapan siya ng ina, may lungkot sa mga mata bago muling ibinaling ang tingin sa makakapal na ulap sa labas.
"I thought my love for him would last till the end, but it did not. Sinubukan ko na mahalin siya ulit, na maging masaya ulit sa piling niya, dahil ayokong masira kami, ayokong bigyan ka ng hindi kumpleto at masayang pamilya. Pero habang sinusubukan kong gawin ang mga bagay na 'yon, mas nagiging mahirap para sa'kin dahil sa mga maling paratang niya." Pumait ang boses ng ina, makailang ulit na humugot ng hangin sa dibdib bago nagpatuloy.
"I never had an affair. I was faithful and loyal to him, to our marriage and to you. Your father was very like you when it comes to his physical appearance, women sweep on his feet. Mahal niya ako, pero alam kong may iba pa bukod sa'kin."
Brooke's lips parted a bit, shocked by what he heard. Wala siyang ideya na may ibang babae ang ama, no one told him 'bout it!
"Dad had an affair?" He almost whisper the words.
Marahan na tumango ang ina tapos ay malungkot na ngumiti. Nakita niya ang pangingilid ng luha nito sa gilid ng mga mata.
"Hindi ko siya masisi kung bakit nagkaro'n siya ng ibang babae, hindi lang isa, hindi lang dalawa. He slept with different women to punished me for not loving him back. I was hurt." Nilingon siya nito at kaagad na pinunasan ang luhang biglang bumagsak. "I was very confused with my feelings towards your father, kung hindi ko siya mahal, hindi ako masasaktan, di ba? Pero nasasaktan ako sa tuwing nalalaman kong may ibang babae siya."
Mariin niyang ipinikit ang mga mata. Hindi alam kung ano ang mararamdaman. His father was the one who had an affair? That's the reason why his mother left them?!
"It was dad's fault after all?"
Umiling ang ina. "May kasalanan din ako. Don't blame your father, he has his reason why he did all that to me. Kung may sisisihin ka man sa nangyari sa amin, ako dapat 'yon, Brooke, dahil ako ang unang sumuko sa aming dalawa. Ako ang nang-iwan."
"I grew up thinking that you were the one who have an affair. I don't bother to ask dad and lolo about you because I know it would only hurt me. But damn!" Brooke chuckled bitterly. "He was the one who made a reason for you to leave us."
"I don't encourage you to blame your father for the mistake I made. I know, he was a good father to you and he was a good husband to me. It's just that there are things that wasn't meant to be...that won't last forever, and our marriage is one of those things."
"Still, he cheated on you! He was the reason why I grew up without a mother!" His voice raise a bit. He couldn't handle his emotion. Damn him!
"Kung hindi dahil sa'kin, alam kong hindi niya gagawin ang mga 'yon. Ako ang sisihin mo, pakiusap, huwag ang daddy mo." Muli itong nagpunas ng luha. Ramdam niya na totoong nagsisisi at nasasaktan ito sa ginawa sa kanya.
"And I want you to know that... I chose to leave you with Briggs, because I knew that I could not give you a better future that he could give you. And I was right, looking at you right now made me realized that I chose the right decision. Kahit sobrang sakit na iwan ka noon, nilabanan ko para sa kinabukasan mo."
Iniisip niya kung ano ba ang kapalaran niya kung sinama siya ng ina nang umalis ito? Magiging successful ba siya kagaya ng tinatamasa niya ngayon? Marahil ay oo, marahil ay hindi rin.
"Handa naman akong tanggapin lahat ng galit mo, anak. Alam kong sobrang sakit din sa'yo na wala ako. Bakit hindi ka sa'kin magalit?"
"I'm tired of it. Buong buhay ko iyon ang ginawa ko, ang magalit sa'yo, ang magalit sa ginawa mo." Napahugot ulit si Brooke ng hangin sa dibdib. "Wala ng puwang sa puso ko ang galit ngayon. You are here with me, that's what I wanted all my life, to be with my mother."
Humikbi ang ina at napayakap sa kanya. Napapikit si Brooke, binibigyan niya ng pagkakataon ang sariling magpatawad at kalimutan ang lahat ng dahilan kung bakit lihim siyang nasasaktan...noon.
To find a real happiness, you have to free your heart from all the pain. Forgive yourself to be happy again by forgiving those people who broke you.
"Forgive me for all the pain I gave you, son. Forgive me." His mother said while sobbing.
Brooke caressed Brianna's back and nod his head. "I already forgive you, mom."
Everyone deserve a forgiveness and his mother deserve it. He forgave her as he let himself forgave his father as well even nobody ask for it.
His father did all his best to raise him. He was the best father for him. Kung buhay lang sana ang ama, baka may pagkakataon pang ma-kumpleto ang pamilyang hinahangad niya.
"I never had an affair even after your father's death." Brianna muttered as she sit properly again, wiping her tears. "I was there...I w-was there, Brooke."
Marahas siyang napalunok. Pinakatitigan ang ina na nanatiling nasa labas ng bintana ang mga mata.
"You were there? Why you didn't show up? You have the rights." Frustrated niyang sinabi.
"May karapatan ako bilang asawa niya pero wala akong lakas ng loob, Brooke. Briggs death made me regrets everything I've done to him and to you, to our family. Matagal ko nang pinagsisisihan ang lahat, anak."
"You never had an affair but..." sinulyapan niya si Gelicah na tulug na tulog. Paanong hindi mapapagod ang asawa niya, pinuyat niya ito kagabi. "But you married another man." Brooke pointed out, making his mother gaze went on him.
Brianna nod her head slowly. "I marry Gelicah's father and that marriage was only for convenience. We made a deal before I agreed to do that."
Brooke eyebrows shot up, amused but confused. Marriage for convenience, huh? Looks like him and his wife.
"Tell me all about it. I wanna know everything, mom."
"Walang-wala ako nang umalis ako sa mansyon. My own family did not even support me since they were furious to what I did, but I was happy that Bettina was there to help me. We flew to Los Angeles and she introduced me to a man, and that was Gelicah's father. We were in the same situation, our hearts were mourning, his wife died after giving birth to a baby girl."
Sinulyapan nito si Gelicah at napangiti. Tapos ay inangat ang tingin sa kanya, kumislap ang mga mata ng ina, nasisiyahan na pinagmasdan silang mag asawa.
"I badly wanted to stay in L.A, away from all the pain I left in the Philippines, and the only thing I need to do is to marry an American citizen. Henry agreed to marry me." That was Gelicah's dad. "But in one condition, I need to stand as a mother of his daughter. We both agreed to it. But I swear, Henry was just a very good friend of mine like your Tita Bettina. And he had a secret affairs to warm his bed, coz I cannot give it to him, and I'm okay with it, that's part of our deal."
"And my wife don't know all of this, right? Your set up with him?"
"Gelicah don't know even a bit of it." Brianna let out a soft breath. "Wala akong minahal na ibang lalaki kundi ang daddy mo lang. Briggs is the only man in my heart even he's already gone. Hanggang sa huli, siya lang. Siya pa rin." Emosyonal na sabi ng ina.
That made him smile. Knowing that she never love any other man but his father, made his heart feel good.
"Masaya akong malaman na si daddy lang ang minahal mo. Kahit hindi niyo ako nabigyan ng kumpletong pamilya, masaya na rin ako dahil alam kong hindi huwad ang pagmamahalan ninyo, mom." Isinandal ni Brooke ang ulo sa inuupuan at ipinikit ang mga mata, inaalala ang mga huling sandali na kasama ang namayapang ama.
"HINDI na ako magtatagal, anak. I'm sorry for all the mistakes and pain that I've caused you." His father said in a weak tone, he's laying in bed. He's very weak.
"Dad, don't say that. Get well. I don't wanna hear your goodbyes."
Brooke was trying to make the ambiance lighter, he was very worried. Natatakot siyang mawala ang ama, ayaw niya nang tuluyan na mapilay. Wala na siyang ina tapos mawawalan din siya ng ama? Nasaan ba ang hustisya?
"Your mother...find your mother. I have had enough time that I spent with you, still, I knew that I wasn't enough. I could never complete you, but your mom could do something for it. Find her, for me and for you. Okay, son?"
"No," he bitterly hissed. "I only want is you to get well, and to be with me."
Parang may kumurot sa dibdib niya. He was lying to what he only wanted, of course, he wanted to be with his mother as well, but he's too angry with her that he can lie to himself.
"You can never fool a man like me, Brooke. I am your father, and I know that you're longing for your mom. I'm sorry that you need to suffer to all of these. I'm sorry I didn't give you a happy and complete family."
"Don't leave me, dad." That's the only words he can mutter. That's the only thing that matters to him at the moment. "Don't leave me yet, please."
"I may not give you a complete family, but I want you to keep this in your head, your mom is the only woman I love... she will be the only one in my heart until my last breath. And if I would be given a chance to live my life again, I would still choose her as my wife. No one else, but Brianna."
"Dad might had an affairs, but he made it sure to me and to himself that you were the only one in his heart, mom. And I believed in him." Brooke said after reminiscing that moment with his father. "Thank you for keep on loving my father even after all what happened to both of you. Your love story may not have a happy ending, but still, I admire it."
Brianna smile warmly at him, then nod her head.
"Our love story wasn't perfect, but for me that made it perfect. Because loving him from afar made me realized that people can love without being with the person. It's not all about being together, sometimes memories are enough to keep the love inside, no matter how happy and painful those memories I had with him. Briggs will forever be the only one in my heart. I am not perfect, I made a lot of mistakes, pero ang pagmamahal ko sa'yo at sa daddy mo ay hindi huwad. Sa lahat nang pagkakamaling nagawa ko, ang mahalin kayong dalawa ang pinaka tama."
❤️
A/N: This will be the last chapter of this story. Next is Epilogue.